Review - A Suitable Brat by R. Cooper
A Suitable Brat
by R. Cooper
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Volume 5 of The Suitable 'Verse
Posted in Book Reviews on March 11, 2026
Westin is an outguard but is getting too old for the life on the road, sometimes sleeping rough, especially in the cold. He has resolved to retire and return to his family’s estate. There’s just one problem: another outguard called Sun. Unlike most outguards like Westin, Sun’s brief is wide-ranging, so their paths often crossed. The much younger man has a sharp tongue and a way of getting Westin, or almost anyone, to do exactly what he wants, which includes sharing a bed. Westin indulges Sun because he believes the younger man deserves some pleasure in what Westin knows has been a rough life. Sun is what Westin will miss the most when he leaves the outguard, but he can’t believe the much younger man will want to follow him into the quiet life he anticipates after retiring.
This latest story set in the Suitable ‘Verse mostly takes place about 20 years before the very first book, A Suitable Consort. This tale is much shorter than most of the books in the series. It primarily boils down to one scene set in an accommodating tavern that Westin likes to frequent on his way back to the capital. He has stopped to ponder his future, and what to do about Sun, over a cup of tea. Westin’s musings are interrupted by the man himself when Sun bursts into the pub out of a raging storm. It seems he has come to confront Westin about his plans to leave the outguard, but both men seem to have a hard time expressing their true desires.
The story is told entirely from Westin’s point of view. We learn early on that he is from a minor noble family, but he displays none of the entitlement normally associated with the nobles in this fantasy world. Quite the opposite. Westin’s core philosophy seems to be being happy with what he has. That includes his relationship with Sun. He may like to have more, but he doesn’t expect his young lover to want a relationship.
Westin calls Sun “Brat”, but he is the only one the feisty young man lets get away with it. Sun has a knack for charming people to get what he wants, but with Westin he seems very different. Sun doesn’t try to charm Westin. Instead, he seems to enjoy provoking him. Westin knows what Sun is doing, but he willingly gives the young man what he needs. He just doesn’t realize how much he means to Sun.
“A Suitable Brat” is available from Smashwords or see Bookshop.org to purchase from an independent bookshop.
